With Halloween right around the corner, fall season is in full swing. And while temperatures throughout the United States are cooling, its collective real estate market continues to warm up and recover fr0m an historic collapse.

Indeed, now is a fine time to wade into real estate if you haven’t already tested the waters.

Many factors need to be plugged into the personal homebuying equation, but none are likely more concerning than money. Even in buyer-friendly times likes these, homes (relatively speaking) still cost quite a bit.

Where are you going to get the money? What if your credit isn’t perfect? What if your down payment is too small?

Believe it or not, there are alternatives to traditional bank financing. Many people are in the same boat as you and they are succeeding in real estate because they aren’t letting the banks stop them. You can likely get the financing you need, even if your credit is bad and the bank isn’t interested.

The October 2012 edition of Foreclosure.com’s free educational newsletter, “Investment Exchange,” is now available, which explores creative financing options for those of you who won’t qualify for -– or would prefer not to use -– a traditional bank mortgage.

In other words, don’t be scared to learn more about possible mortgage options that are not the fixed-rate, 30-year variety. There are several safe loan products available today that could be ideal solutions for prospective homebuyers and investors who don’t qualify — or are simply disinterested — in going the traditional route. It’s not for everyone, and in some cases, it’s not even on their short- and-long-term interests.

Well, in today’s market, foreclosed homes are located in just about every corner of the United States. Long gone are the days when distressed real estate was hard-to-find, valuable treasure. Make no mistake, foreclosures, short sales and other distressed property types are typically still cheaper than their traditional counterparts; however, thanks to the mortgage meltdown a few years back and the current nationwide economic crisis, they are significantly more abundant.

In fact, there are so many foreclosures in some “hot spots” that banks and lenders don’t have the time or resources to repossess them in a timely fashion. That’s the reason some folks can live in their homes mortgage-free for months or even years, as well as the reason for the “shadow” inventory — abandoned/vacant homes not yet “in the system” — that sits idle for so long.

Indeed, foreclosures are essentially everywhere. And until the lenders and banks catch up, or until the economy levels out, or both, foreclosures will continue to remain everywhere well into the near future.

The good news is that foreclosed homes represent discounted real estate purchase opportunities. Banks and lenders are overwhelmed and are often eager to sell their assets as quickly as possible, even if it means slashing prices by as much as 50 percent or more. Always remember: Banks and lenders are in the money business, not the real estate business.

Cash is king.

So, since we’ve established that foreclosures are everywhere and that they still offer buyers and investors tremendous value — especially when you factor in historically low mortgage interest rates — we thought that we’d take a look at the most popular areas for foreclosure searches throughout the nation.

Just because there are more foreclosures on the market and unemployment is high, doesn’t mean that competition among buyers doesn’t exist. On the contrary, competition is stiff in desirable locations nationwide. In fact, it’s common for forward-thinking investors and others to cherry-pick the best deals, renovate and rent/re-sell them for profit.

It’s the primary reason Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) like Fannie Mae have had to implement programs such as “First Look,” which locks out investors from purchasing properties for a few days so first-time buyers don’t miss out on all the great opportunities.

In any case, here are the Top 10 most-searched cities for foreclosed homes for sale*:

Los Angeles, Calif.

Orlando. Fla.

Fort Lauderdale. Fla.

Miami, Fla.

Houston, Texas

Atlanta, Ga.

West Palm Beach, Fla.

Dallas, Texas

Chicago, Ill.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Florida, with four cities in the list, is clearly a major point of interest for many buyers and investors. That’s not too surprising, considering the climate and reputation for being a retirement and/or vacation home destination. In addition, the “Sunshine State” took a beating when the housing market crashed — it has consistently remained at or near the top of the collective foreclosure list since it tanked.

Even still, homeowners who paid too much at the height of the market are still struggling to get their heads “above water” on mortgages that simply no longer make sense (or cents).

It’s also no surprise that Los Angeles, where the population density is high and the real estate footprint is perhaps just as dense, sits atop the list. Houston, Atlanta, Chicago and Las Vegas are also in demand, indicating that if buyers and investors are interested in investing in these areas that they better be prepared and on top of their games.

Searching and finding foreclosures is clearly a small piece of a very competitive pie in many areas throughout the United States. It’s the first, albeit perhaps most important, step in a process that could mean the difference between making (or saving) tens of — if not hundreds of — thousands of dollars.

The best thing that you can do to improve your chances of success is to do your homework, know your target market inside-out. This way, you can identify a deal the moment you see it and are able to move fast to ensure that no one else beats you to the punch.

Short sales are heating up thanks in large part to major lenders getting their systems up to snuff and a looming Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act deadline (Dec. 31, 2012) , which cancels/erases taxable debt on the difference owed on the mortgage.

For example, if a homeowner owes $300,000 on his or her mortgage, but the property is only worth $225,000, a $75,000 difference exists for which he or she is financially responsible. Rather than selling the home for a loss and cutting a $75,000 check to the bank, the homeowner, lender and buyer can negotiate a “short sale” that ensures the seller can avoid foreclosure, as well as a huge $75,000 tax liability (for now), while the seller gets a sweet deal on a new home.

The lender, meanwhile, actually saves money by not having to foreclose on the house and then attempt to preserve, market and re-sell it to a new buyer months — possibly even a year or more — down the road.

But, short sales are typically anything but “short.” The process has been streamlined and improvements have been made; however, there are several roadblocks that can and often do gum up the process.

Homeowners Associations (HOAs) are among the many culprits that can kill deals.

Happy Birthday to the Foreclosure.com Education Department, which celebrates its five-year anniversary this month (June 2012).

What started as an ambitious idea, considering the nationwide housing market was showing major signs of fracture back in 2007, has evolved into a tremendous resource that helps people learn to make serious cash investing in distressed real estate throughout the United States.

Even if you’re just looking to land a great real estate deal, we tell you all about how to go about doing that on the cheap, too.

The June 2012 edition of Foreclosure.com’s free educational newsletter, “Investment Exchange,” is now available, which honors the education department’s five-year anniversary. In that spirit, we’re going to talk in “fives” this month.

Indeed, the temperature is rising along with interest among first-time buyers and investors. It’s fantastic news for investors who’ve been sitting on properties, waiting for a better time to sell; however, it may not be the greatest news for the investors who got used to having all the time in the world to make their dream deals happen.

Those days are behind us. If you want to score a hot real estate deal, you have to act fast to beat out the competition. The key to coming out on top is being prepared and being proactive.

The May 2012 edition of Foreclosure.com’s free educational newsletter, “Investment Exchange,” is now available, which is filled with several common-sense tactics for real estate investment preparation, as well as how Foreclosure.com can help improve your chances of landing the property of your dreams before someone else beats you to it.

Competition among real estate buyers and investors is heating up, which means that the days of waiting for the best deal to land in your lap are all but over. The good news is that you have the ability and resources to still score the deal of a lifetime.

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Foreclosure.com is America's largest provider of distressed properties, with more than 1.8 million foreclosure, preforeclosure, bankruptcy and tax lien listings across the United States located conveniently in one place.